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Radical Christian Living  /  How to Be an Encourager (New)  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 1
David Bercot claims that “encourage one another and build one another up” (1 Thess. 5:9–11) is a “simple thing” that can make a “colossal difference” in church life; what does that assumption reveal about what God is trying to produce in His people through church life, and how might that challenge our tendency to look for complex solutions?
Another way to ask: If simple encouragement can change a whole church, what does that show about what God wants to grow in His people through church life? How does that challenge our habit of looking for complicated fixes?

Direct Answer Based on David Bercot’s teaching, God is trying to produce a church life where believers actively build each other up through ordinary, repeated acts of love, and this kind of simple obedience can stabilize and strengthen a whole congregation. That challenges us because we often hunt for complicated “fixes” while neglecting basic, daily encouragement that God already commanded.

Support from Transcript:

  • He says many churches struggle, yet “there is one simple thing that all Christians can do that can make a colossal difference in our church life,” namely, “encourage one another and build one another up.”
  • He points out New Testament churches “certainly had their share of problems,” implying their health wasn’t because they had no conflict.
  • He connects their endurance to this practice: “I’m sure… one of the things that helped… to thrive and to endure was their commitment to encourage one another.”
  • He emphasizes practical, concrete steps that “don’t take any extra time,” suggesting God uses small habits, not complex programs.
  • He calls encouragement “one of the easiest ministries there is… and yet… has an oversized impact.”
Discussion Follow-ups If encouragement is a major “missing ingredient,” what church problems might improve simply through consistent building up rather than new policies or structural changes?

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